120 Commandos, 3 Hours: How Israeli Forces Raided Syria, to Dismantle Missile Plant | VIDEO

Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces released for the first time footage from a September commando raid deep inside Syria which destroyed an underground Iranian missile manufacturing site. It was the first official confirmation of the raid, of which some details were reported in the Israeli media. Commandos from the elite Shaldag unit raided the Scientific Studies and Research Center in the northwestern Syrian city of Masyaf on September 8, about 200 km north of Israel. The facility, also known as known as CERS or SSRC, was used to produce strategic weapons.  

"The site was a flagship project of Iran in an effort to arm its proxies on the northern border of the State of Israel. The complex included advanced production lines designed to produce precision missiles and long-range rockets, thereby significantly increasing the scope of missile supplies to the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other Iranian proxies in the region," the IDF said. The facility produced M600F missiles with a range of 250-300 km, precision M302 missiles with a range of 130 km, M220 missiles with a range of 70 km, and truck-launched M122 rockets with a 40-km-range, the army said. These missiles were intended for use by Hezbollah. CERS was also widely associated with biological and chemical weapons technology.

Military-released footage showed soldiers boarding helicopters from an undisclosed base and landing at the target site in Syria under the cover of night. The grainy visuals showed troops entering the compound amidst gunfire and returning safely to Israeli territory after successfully completing the operation.

In a statement, the Israeli military revealed that the facility contained advanced production lines for precision-guided missiles and long-range rockets. These weapons were reportedly intended for Hezbollah, Iran's primary proxy in Lebanon, and other groups aligned with Tehran in the region. Essential machinery and documents recovered from the site were transported back to Israel.

This disclosure is one of the rare occasions when Israel has publicly acknowledged its operations within Syrian territory. Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes targeting Iranian-linked sites in Syria, aiming to limit Tehran’s influence and prevent the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah.

Up until December 2024, Syria remained under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, who Iran backs. His regime had largely stayed out of the Israel-Hamas conflict that escalated after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.